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Renaissance

Azure D’Or, Expanded 2CD/Blu-Ray Set

Review by Gary Hill

This certainly is a great set. I know there are probably plenty of people who will disagree with me, but Azure D'Or has always been my favorite Renaissance album, so for it to get this kind of deluxe treatment makes me very happy. The first CD includes a remastered version of the album with two bonus tracks. Those tracks are both single sides, one of which was not on the original album.

The second CD features new mixes of the album. I definitely prefer the original mixes. They have more life and style to them. The new mixes feel more direct, but that's not necessarily a good thing when it comes to Renaissance. We get more bonus tracks on the second disc, but it also includes the two from the first disc. The Blu-Ray disc includes various audio options of the music from the two CDs, but it also has some promotional videos. Those videos are pretty interesting, although they are mostly performance videos synched to the studio audio.

All in all, this is such a great set. It has so much great material. It all comes in a cardboard clamshell box with an informative booklet, and a second booklet of pictures. I should mention that since I previously reviewed the album, and the tracks remain the same, I've reused or modified the original track reviews for usage on both of the CD track by track reviews here for the sake of consistency.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2023  Volume 2. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2023.

Track by Track Review
Disc One
                   
Azure D'Or Remastered
           
Jekyll and Hyde

This comes in with some oomph, but it’s still definitely progressive rock. As the vocals join, it lends itself more to the melodic side of the prog equation. This is actually quite complex and dynamic for a shorter piece that seems accessible. It’s dramatic progressive rock with symphonic leanings.

The Winter Tree
More fast moving, but melodic progressive rock, there are some great melody lines built into this piece. I love the layers of sound, and the magic they create, too. This has always been one of my favorites from this disc.
Only Angels Have Wings
This is a change as it has male vocals. It has a bouncy kind of symphonic element to it. It’s kind of playful. Somehow there is a bit of Beatles-like sound here. It also makes me think of musical theater. Haslam joins on vocals later in the piece, but not in a lead capacity. The cut works through some changes. It has some good vocal harmonies. It’s a little light weight and precious to me, though. It’s definitely not my favorite cut here.
Golden Key
Now, this is my favorite song on the disc. I love pretty much everything about it. It starts with a powerful progressive rock introduction. It drops back to a piano based arrangement for the first vocals. It grows out organically from there. Haslam’s vocals are the biggest selling point here, but this song is great beyond that, too. Further down the road there is a powerhouse symphonic prog jam that just keeps building and building. As it returns to the song proper and then winds its way to the chorus, it feels like a glorious return home. The main song structure gets more power and passion as it continues from there. Then it crescendos and drops to just piano to end.
Forever Changing
Acoustic guitar opens this, and the vocals join over the top. It’s intricate and quite pretty as it gradually builds outward. More elements are added to the mix as the arrangement shifts more toward a melodic prog full treatment. This is a beautiful and powerful piece.
Secret Mission
Here’s another highlight of the set. There is a percussive section that makes me think of Genesis’ Duke album at the beginning. That gives way to powered up progressive rock. This is arguably the most purely progressive rock thing here. The song is complex and diverse. It’s got plenty of shifts and changes. There are more intense rocking moments and mellower ones. It turns this way and that. The final resolution is particularly powerful. It gives way to the same percussive element that was heard at the beginning.
Kalynda (A Magical Isle)

The early parts (and others later) of this are almost more mainstream rock. They are intricate and have a lot of folk music. Still, it gets powered up with more pure melodic progressive rock, too. This is a mellower cut with a dreamy sort of texture.

The Discovery
This is the other most “progressive cut” of the disc. It could be argued that this is the most prog of the bunch – as if that’s a distinction that needs to be made. It certainly has more shifts and changes than anything else here. It’s a killer instrumental start to finish. That start is mellow and tentative. That sections holds it for almost a minute. Then a fast paced melodic prog jam takes it. Variations occur and there are definitely world music elements here. Some of the guitar playing later makes me think of surf music. Around the three-minute mark some serious prog bombast takes it. Then we’re moved out into a compelling movement from there.
Friends
I love the bass line on this. It’s deceptively complex and busy. This is overall essentially a folk song. It gets its prog elements from the layers of sound over the top of the arrangement.
The Flood at Lyons
The opening segment here has some pretty crazed prog jamming. It works out to more melodic and powerful progressive rock from there. I love some of the symphonic elements that provide a lot of magic to this piece.
Bonus tracks:
             
Island of Avalon (B-side of single)
Folk music and prog concepts blend on this number. It's a solid tune that's trademark Renaissance, but it's not as strong as the material that made the actual album.
Jekyll and Hyde (single version) (A side of single)
The cut works well in this shortened, punchier edit.
Disc Two
                  
Azure D'Or New Stereo Mixes
                     
Jekyll and Hyde

This comes in with some oomph, but it’s still definitely progressive rock. As the vocals join, it lends itself more to the melodic side of the prog equation. This is actually quite complex and dynamic for a shorter piece that seems accessible. It’s dramatic progressive rock with symphonic leanings.

The Winter Tree
More fast moving, but melodic progressive rock, there are some great melody lines built into this piece. I love the layers of sound, and the magic they create, too. This has always been one of my favorites from this disc.
Only Angels Have Wings
This is a change as it has male vocals. It has a bouncy kind of symphonic element to it. It’s kind of playful. Somehow there is a bit of Beatles-like sound here. It also makes me think of musical theater. Haslam joins on vocals later in the piece, but not in a lead capacity. The cut works through some changes. It has some good vocal harmonies. It’s a little light weight and precious to me, though. It’s definitely not my favorite cut here.
Golden Key
Now, this is my favorite song on the disc. I love pretty much everything about it. It starts with a powerful progressive rock introduction. It drops back to a piano based arrangement for the first vocals. It grows out organically from there. Haslam’s vocals are the biggest selling point here, but this song is great beyond that, too. Further down the road there is a powerhouse symphonic prog jam that just keeps building and building. As it returns to the song proper and then winds its way to the chorus, it feels like a glorious return home. The main song structure gets more power and passion as it continues from there. Then it crescendos and drops to just piano to end.
Forever Changing
Acoustic guitar opens this, and the vocals join over the top. It’s intricate and quite pretty as it gradually builds outward. More elements are added to the mix as the arrangement shifts more toward a melodic prog full treatment. This is a beautiful and powerful piece.
Secret Mission
Here’s another highlight of the set. There is a percussive section that makes me think of Genesis’ Duke album at the beginning. That gives way to powered up progressive rock. This is arguably the most purely progressive rock thing here. The song is complex and diverse. It’s got plenty of shifts and changes. There are more intense rocking moments and mellower ones. It turns this way and that. The final resolution is particularly powerful. It gives way to the same percussive element that was heard at the beginning.
Kalynda (A Magical Isle)

The early parts (and others later) of this are almost more mainstream rock. They are intricate and have a lot of folk music. Still, it gets powered up with more pure melodic progressive rock, too. This is a mellower cut with a dreamy sort of texture.

The Discovery
This is the other most “progressive cut” of the disc. It could be argued that this is the most prog of the bunch – as if that’s a distinction that needs to be made. It certainly has more shifts and changes than anything else here. It’s a killer instrumental start to finish. That start is mellow and tentative. That sections holds it for almost a minute. Then a fast paced melodic prog jam takes it. Variations occur and there are definitely world music elements here. Some of the guitar playing later makes me think of surf music. Around the three-minute mark some serious prog bombast takes it. Then we’re moved out into a compelling movement from there.
Friends
I love the bass line on this. It’s deceptively complex and busy. This is overall essentially a folk song. It gets its prog elements from the layers of sound over the top of the arrangement.
The Flood at Lyons
The opening segment here has some pretty crazed prog jamming. It works out to more melodic and powerful progressive rock from there. I love some of the symphonic elements that provide a lot of magic to this piece.
Bonus tracks:
                    
Island of Avalon (B-side of single)
Folk music and prog concepts blend on this number. It's a solid tune that's trademark Renaissance, but it's not as strong as the material that made the actual album.
Friends (extended version)
I like this version of the song quite a bit. The extended instrumental section really brings the prog to bear with style.
Jekyll and Hyde (single version) (A side of single)
The cut works well in this shortened, punchier edit.
Kalynda (A Magical Isle) (early version)
The intricate acoustic guitar is so beautiful on this version of the cut. Haslam's vocals bring plenty of magic.
Forever Changing (acoustic demo)
This works remarkably well in this format. For some reason the guitar here makes me think of Greg Lake's work in ELP.
 
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